Book: “Spiritual Writing From Inspiration to Publication: 2nd Edition,” Deborah Levine Herman, Soul Odyssey Books, 2023
Book Review by Mary Mikawoz
This book is after a specific niche market. It is for those who are both spiritually oriented and also wish to publish a book. Her title of the book is most appropriate and to the point. I understand where the author is coming from and her original intent.
Spiritual writing is definitely on the increase as evidenced by more titles being published. Main stream publishers seem to be taking notice with specialized departments now or they have developed, in some cases, off-shoot publishing companies. Having said that, it is still “difficult” to be accepted by the industry and mainstream society at large although this is increasingly changing with the changes of attitude, knowledge, information and insights.
This book by Debora Herman is good from the point of view that she has experience in the publishing industry and she explains it how it is. From this perspective, I found the book very good in terms of learning the ropes of how things work and what to expect. I found myself highlighting many great sections.
When it comes to combining this information with spirituality, I find that this book is trying to do too much. I find that the author tries “too hard.” I feel that she overstates points so many times about being a spiritually-inspired author that it seems forced and in a lecture type mode which I did not appreciate. She even mentions that she is repeating points to make sure we know it is important. I think it is fine to say the point once or twice but then to leave it well enough alone.
I think Deborah Herman tried to take on a huge task. I think the spiritual book market is an important area to consider as it is growing, developing and changing, however, I really do feel she could have done two separate books. I think a book on the ins and outs of the publishing industry is one book and then I think she could really have expanded on encouraging spiritual writers would be an entirely separate and second book. I think she would have the passion and the personal interest to encourage people who are on a spiritual journey who want to share with other like-minded individuals. She could profit by helping people go after their passion and drive in a written format.
Overall, I give the publishing information a 4.5 out of 5 and the spiritual encouragement a 4 out of 5 for an average of 4.25 out of 5. Finally, I would just like to add that her final essay at the end of the book wraps everything up very well and is to the point in a way that I really appreciate and sums up matters very nicely.
Book: “The Wisdom of The Council: Channeled Messages for Living Your Purpose, Sara Landon, Hay House Publishing, 2023
Book Review by Mary Mikawoz
The first time I went to a workshop on channelling, I had no idea what it was or what to expect. I was living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, at the time, the nation’s capital. I found a quaint spiritual book store in one of the areas of the city back in late 1989 or in early 1990.
They offered evening classes on a variety of topics. The one night, it would be channelling and I was most definitely a novice on this subject area. A woman appeared on the platform and after being introduced, she went into what seemed like a trance or meditative state.
She spoke somewhat differently but essentially with her own voice. Her messages were interesting but at some point in time, I thought to myself, “This is BS.” Why did I say this? Because her messages were simple and, in my opinion, common sense. As I said this, she seemed to stop mid-track as if she were hearing my thoughts. She was a novice and she was clearly feeling disrupted as she kind of looked back and forth between me and the hosts. They encouraged her to carry on and so she did.
This book is kind of the same scenario for me. I feel that much of what Sara Landon says is common sense. I feel that her channelled messages are the kind of things that a parent or grandparent would lovingly say to their offspring in kindness, consideration and compassion.
On the other hand, when I look at it, her advice is sage. She has the wisdom of an older person who has more experience in life so maybe it is from higher light beings or some spiritual entity.
I know some religious groups may be opposed to such things, however, when there is truth in it, who are we to say that it is not valid and in the realm of the possible?
If you think about it, many of the greatest creative people clearly give their music, lyrics, art and writing credit over to a Higher Power or influence. They feel as if they were inspired as I have with my creative pursuits. Some feel and have admitted that the idea was somehow “downloaded” to them in a dream or thought process. “It just came to them.”
So, I stand with the notion that whether true or verifiable, there is actually much we do not know about the world, seen and unseen. If there is wisdom to be had, then I acknowledge and accept the channelling and the Wisdom of the Council as showcased in this book. If nothing else, they are words to live by.
I give the book a 4.25 out of 5.
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Book: “The Greatest Secret,” Rhonda Byrne, Harper One, 2020
Book Review by Mary Mikawoz
What a simple title with a very simple message in a very good and simple way. I read this book quite quickly as it is an easy and enjoyable read.
Rhonda Byrne is most notably known for her video on “The Secret” that came out in 2006 via the Internet. It was like a big and huge, round rock rolling down the hill gaining momentum and speed as it went on. The impact on society was enormous especially before the end of the Mayan calendar in 2012.
Personally, I think Rhonda Byrne had a huge life role and responsibility in introducing the world to such incredibly good concepts that we now talk about it in common and every day conversation. It is now part of our lexicon and understanding in today’s world.
The Law of Attraction has been spoken of by many influential thought leaders going back a very long time. One could argue that it goes back to Jesus and to many cultures beforehand going way back to our ancestral origins.
The message in “The Greatest Secret” is very common sense. It is something so simple that you can easily and do miss it.
There are many paths leading to the truth but there is only one truth. Whatever journey you are on, may you find it here and now. Live in the moment for that is all there really is!
I highly recommend this book and give it a 4.5 out of 5. My biggest complaint about the book is that I feel some of it contradicts the information in “The Secret.” Rhonda says to permit negativity into your life and to embrace and allow it through acceptance. She says to greet it as you would an old and dear friend. I feel the message in the original “The Secret” was to not even entertain negative emotions and feelings for that which you think and feel, you send out to the Universe.
Now, there is provision for dealing with negative emotions and thoughts. You need to be aware of it in order to move through it and past onto the other side of acceptance and allowance. This is basically good counselling sense. In order to get rid of issues or problems, you need to look at the shadow side of your being. There is definitely a case that can be made for both views of negativity and an overall view that can incorporate both polar opposites.
Overall, the message and information is and are very good.
Book: “Daily Self-Worth Journal for Women: A 60-Day Guide to Self-Improvement, Kris Jobson, Books Go Social, 2022
Book Review by Mary Mikawoz
I think it is important to start off with who Kris Jobson is. On LinkedIn, he is described as, “Creator, Artistic Director, Director, Choreographer, Producer, Writer, Dancer, Model, Actor, and Speaker.” He is definitely a creative whom I can relate to. I understand creatives because we tend to go inwards to find our source of inspiration. It is important to figure out who you are in order to expose yourself to the outside world in creativity.
I think it is important to note, as he does, that this is not to be used as medical treatment. There are people qualified to help you with trauma and many other issues or problem areas of concern.
I am reviewing both journal books for men and women because other than the cover, the orientation for both books are the same.
I feel as if much of this work is based on Kris’s internal dialogue based on counselling sessions. This is purely conjecture but his knowledge seems to have come from somewhere or perhaps years of studying and researching.
The areas he covers from self-love, self-confidence, to letting go and balance are all important key areas of life. I found the book repetitive because you were doing similar exercises for the different areas from writing out certain phrases, to breathing exercises, repeating affirmations and going inwards. I felt as if these would be assignments that a counsellor would give you after each session.
For a journal, there are some good areas to address individually and in a quiet place and space. I think you have to work the program like AA, NA, or OA to get to the root of the problems.
Having reviewed the book, I give the books both 3.5 out of 5.0 for his concern in wanting to help people and providing a framework for reflection. If I were the publisher, I would have reoriented the journal to cover more areas of concern and with an index or appendix that people could go to for the repetitive sections like the personal declaration sections and other continuing sections.
You may also follow Kris Jobson on YouTube, Twitter and Instagram. He has his own website under his name.
Book: “Lose Weight Get Toned!, 15 Minutes Daily Strength Training for Slim & Tightened Body”, Jannah Adams, Books Go Social, 2022
Book Review by Mary Mikawoz
I would like to start off by talking about the author, Jannah Adams and her credentials. She is a dietitian and fitness educator. She has written a book about strength training. She goes into what it is and how it differs from other forms of exercise. She reviews the benefits of strength training for your body.
Jannah reviews some of the safety aspects as the focus of this book are newbies to weightlifting or strength lifting. She distinguishes between the two areas, but personally, I see them as being the one and the same thing. I suppose it depends on what you are focussing on when initially exercising with weights.
The book does show some pictures of the various lifts. I, however, do have to critique this area because, if it were my book, I would have hired a photographer to do actual poses from initial, middle and final movements instead of picking pictures off of the internet.
Finally, she talks about what to eat while strength training.
A review of Jannah’s profile says she has helped many people with strength training to lose weight and particularly women.
Overall, I found the book a good start for someone who does not know their way around a gym. Aside from me preferring better photos, I found it disjointed from a writing point of view. I felt as if snippets of information were taken from various internet sources and placed together. I felt from a writing point of view that she tried to be all inclusive but, in my opinion, it felt disjointed and not fluid.
I give the book a 3.75 out 5.0 review for Jannah’s effort to bring this information to the forefront.
Either there are a few people with Jannah Adam’s name or there is no real cohesive social media presence on the internet. I found a few people with her name but I could not confidently confirm it was the same person.
I found that Amazon had the best information on her and her background. Jannah has also seemingly written a couple of other books along this similar theme that you may want to check out.
Book: “Daily Self-Worth Journal for Men: A 60-Day Guide to Self-Improvement, Kris Jobson, Books Go Social, 2022
Book Review by Mary Mikawoz
I think it is important to start off with who Kris Jobson is. On LinkedIn, he is described as, “Creator, Artistic Director, Director, Choreographer, Producer, Writer, Dancer, Model, Actor, and Speaker.” He is definitely a creative whom I can relate to. I understand creatives because we tend to go inwards to find our source of inspiration. It is important to figure out who you are in order to expose yourself to the outside world in creativity.
I think it is important to note, as he does, that this is not to be used as medical treatment. There are people qualified to help you with trauma and many other issues or problem areas of concern.
I am reviewing both journal books for men and women because other than the cover, the orientation for both books are the same.
I feel as if much of this work is based on Kris’s internal dialogue based on counselling sessions. This is purely conjecture but his knowledge seems to have come from somewhere or perhaps years of studying and researching.
The areas he covers from self-love, self-confidence, to letting go and balance are all important key areas of life. I found the book repetitive because you were doing similar exercises for the different areas from writing out certain phrases, to breathing exercises, repeating affirmations and going inwards. I felt as if these would be assignments that a counsellor would give you after each session.
For a journal, there are some good areas to address individually and in a quiet place and space. I think you have to work the program like AA, NA, or OA to get to the root of the problems.
Having reviewed the book, I give the books both 3.5 out of 5.0 for his concern in wanting to help people and providing a framework for reflection. If I were the publisher, I would have reoriented the journal to cover more areas of concern and with an index or appendix that people could go to for the repetitive sections like the personal declaration sections and other continuing sections.
You may also follow Kris Jobson on YouTube, Twitter and Instagram. He has his own website under his name.
Book: “The Greatest Manifestation Principle in the World: How Quantum Physics and Spirituality Can Enable You to Manifest Your Best Life,” Carnelian Sage, Think-Outside-the-Book, Inc.,2nd edition, 2022.
Book Review by Mary Mikawoz
This second edition book by Carnelian Sage is worth it. The beginning of the book starts off with praise from various people but then overall, it is a very quick read and is full of very good information spread throughout.
I have found many of the points are based on my years of study into quantum physics, the law of attraction or manifestation and also spirituality. I have actually gleaned much of the knowledge from reviewing good NDEs or Near Death Experiences. Strange as this may sound, people come back from the other side with great insights, knowledge and messages. Once put together, they are a wealth of knowledge and information.
I found myself highlighting many passages in various colours not because the information to me was necessarily new because, I kept on saying, “Yes!”
I won’t give the messages away of the book. I think it is more important to read it and absorb the wonderful knowledge. It is, in many respects a culmination of gathered information over the years.
Based on how I feel on many decades of reviewing spiritual type of books, I give this book a 5 out of 5 and highly recommend it. Just so you know, Carnelian Sage is a pseudonym for her identity and she has written 10 other books along the same genre and vein.
For more book reviews, check out my wordpress website under Mary Mikawoz specifically under the category of Book Reviews.
Book: “Grand Theft Weight Loss – How Stealing Scientific Discoveries Outside The Diet Industry Helps You Lose Weight,” Michael Alvear, BooksGoSocial, 2021
Book Review by Mary Mikawoz
Henry Ford revolutionized the auto but he did so by borrowing from other industries. He looked at sewing machines and watch industries where they used interchangeable parts. He looked at continuous flow processes in flour and in canning industries. “He mimicked assembly line techniques from meat-packing plants and breweries.”
In a similar fashion, Michael Alvear has borrowed ideas, information and developments from other industries that have been around, in some cases for decades, and applied them to the diet industry.
First and foremost, Mr. Alvear says the very most important thing to determine is the right question to any problem. Once you have the question, you can look at the information and process it appropriately. For example, in the billion dollar industry of dieting, the only message seems to be a variety of diets but they all say, “eat less and move more.” If that worked, there would be one diet and it would work for all of us. We would all be skinny or fit but in actuality, it does not work.
Dieting is an illusion that says some foods are good and others are bad. Depending upon the particular diet, it gets confusing because they contradict each other from pro-protein to anti-carbohydrate and anti-fat diets.
Research shows that the harder you try to lose weight, the harder the body tries to fight back. Further research shows that your metabolism can slow by 15% which explains the constant lose weight quickly and then gain it back even though you are sticking to a diet.
Michael Alvear uses a number of techniques from other industries to help a person lose weight. I know a lot of people with eating disorders around the issue of food intake so although a lot of the techniques are interesting, I wonder if they will work.
We can control what we put in our mouth but what our body does in the process of metabolizing it is another issue. We have genetics and we have the environment. How much does each serve to affect us?
There are bigger issues involved. Why can’t we just accept ourselves as we are and believe in HAES which stands for “Health at Every Size.” When will society just accept that people come in different heights, weights, shapes, colours and features. We would never expect a Chihuahua or Poodle to act and look like a Great Dane or a Husky and yet when it comes to people, we need to somehow fit some magical mould of what it means to be “perfect” including people going to extremes with getting surgeries and starving themselves to death.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 for stepping out of the diet industry box in an effort to bring in some other angles to look at.
Book: “Walking Through This: Harness the Healing Power of Nature and Travel the Road to Forgiveness” Sara Shulting Kranz, Harper Horizon, 2020.
Book Review by Mary Mikawoz
I found this book by Sara Shulting Kranz to be interesting. I found that her in-depth knowledge of trauma and PTSD is based on the fact that she has had to deal with it and go through it herself.
She understands more than just an empathetic listener. I won’t repeat her life story other than to say that she has gone through a lot. We all do but that is what is so wonderful about this book is that she gives you steps to deal with the trauma.
Sara gives you written meditations that you can read and then practice. After you are done the guided meditation, she gives you some questions to consider as you take your information gleaned from this process and reflect upon any and all insights. She asks that you write about it.
I find it interesting she mentions a little fact that since 2012, the number of people meditating in this world has tripled. That is significant and shows that there is value in following through with inner work including listening to your intuition.
After learning the six steps, she asks you to forgive yourself, the perpetrator and also the world.
In the meantime, Sara has also implemented a number of practical techniques of walking in nature including retreats through the Grand Canyon or standup paddle boarding on water. From Sara doing her work, she is able to give practical advice and not that just of a psychologist or counsellor who doesn’t have any personal terms of reference and can only reflect back to you what they have heard without any concrete suggestions or relevant life event experiences or tasks to pursue.
I give this book a 4.25 out of 5 for being a useful book that was interesting to read. She is on social media like Instagram and Facebook. She has her own website as well.
Book: “The Self-Love Superpower: The Magical Art of Approving of Yourself (No Matter What),” Tess Whitehurst, Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd., 2021.
Book Review by Mary Mikawoz
Book Available September 8, 2021
I was quite interested in recognizing how self-love could be a superpower simply by approving of myself/yourself. Overall, I found the author to be quite knowledgeable about many spiritual and psychological matters. I found she has incorporated many works from previous authors that I have read and whose books I have previously reviewed. It was nice to see these concepts being congealed in such a well-developed way.
I believe the author to be quite young as her references indicate someone of a younger age. This is not a problem other than many of the cultural and societal references she discussed were not in my sphere of knowledge or influence. So, for that reason, I would recommend this book for younger or middle-aged people.
One of the best insights or lines she has is, “I am choosing to need nothing, expect nothing, and even be nothing. And so I am open to everything.” She goes on to say how liberating it is to have this kind of thought. This is in line with Buddhist philosophy of non-attachment.
Overall, she does come up with some very good ideas but again, they are ones I have read in many other books but it is nice to see it collated here as an inclusive manner.
Tess also goes over chakras which for me was just a review. It seems most books I pick up nowadays include something about the chakra system. If you are new to this, then definitely read this.
Overall, I would give this book a 4 out of 5 based on the attempt to have a cohesive nature of spiritual philosophies and ideas in one book.
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